Eli White hit two home runs and drove in four, leading the Atlanta Braves to a 4-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday in the inaugural MLB Speedway Classic at Bristol Motor Speedway.
The game began Saturday but was delayed until Sunday due to inclement weather. It was the first MLB regular-season game ever played in Tennessee.
The contest set a new MLB attendance record with 91,032 ticketholders, surpassing the 1954 Cleveland-New York Yankees regular-season game attendance of 84,587.
White, filling in for an injured Ronald Acuña Jr., had a career-defining performance.
“It felt like a normal game environment — just a special crowd,” White said. “Getting to ride around the track in front of all the fans was super cool and something that I will always remember.”
White’s first home run, a three-run shot in the third inning, was the first ever hit at the baseball-transformed venue. He followed with a solo homer in the seventh.
“That’s really cool to be the first person to hit a homer here,” White added. “It’s something that’s good trivia. Tennessee has been an awesome place throughout my baseball career. It’s not too far from home, so it feels like home here.”
Braves pitcher Hurston Waldrep, a Georgia native, was called up late Saturday night to relieve starter Spencer Strider. Waldrep, who had been scheduled to start in Triple-A Gwinnett, got the call at 11 p.m., drove to Bristol early Sunday morning, and earned his first career MLB victory. The right-hander allowed just one run on three hits over five 2/3 innings.
“It’s definitely not how you draw it up,” Waldrep said. “But you know, nothing about this game is how you draw it up or perfect. To have that along with the first career win… I just really enjoyed it.”
The Reds threatened in the ninth, putting the tying run on base with no outs, but Braves closer Raisel Iglesias shut them down, striking out Elly de la Cruz to secure the 4-2 win.
Braves manager Brian Snitker praised his team’s performance. “It was a great atmosphere,” Snitker said. “Credit to both teams’ players, how they came out. You saw two really good ball clubs going at it.”
The pre-game festivities on Saturday included ceremonial first pitches from Baseball Hall of Famers Johnny Bench and Chipper Jones, alongside a surprise appearance from NASCAR drivers Kyle Busch and Chase Elliott. The pre-game concert featured country music star Tim McGraw, Pitbull and Jake Owen.
The home plate umpire, Will Little, a Johnson City resident and graduate of nearby Milligan University, was thrilled to be part of the historic game.
“There’s a lot of emotions,” Little said. “For family to come travel, that’s always a big thing. But to have something right at home, I never saw this ever being a possibility.”
Little praised the event, saying, “I think the people here, the hospitality, it’s just great people, great atmosphere. To bring Major League Baseball here, I think it’s something special.”
Support AFP
Share
